180-611: Mickey Charles Mantle (October 20, 1931 – August 13, 1995), nicknamed " the Mick " and " the Commerce Comet ", was an American professional baseball player who played his entire Major League Baseball (MLB) career (1951–1968) with the New York Yankees , primarily as a center fielder . Mantle is regarded by many as being one of the best players and sluggers of all time. He was an American League (AL) Most Valuable Player three times and
360-464: A lieutenant and assigned to Naval Station Great Lakes , he oversaw physical training of new recruits and coached the baseball team. On July 7, 1942, Cochrane managed an All-Service team that played against an American League all-star squad at Cleveland’s Municipal Stadium; the American League team beat the servicemen, 5-0. Later in the war Cochrane, by now a lieutenant commander , was assigned to
540-425: A sacrifice fly . In order to increase the chance of advancing a batter to first base via a walk, the manager will sometimes signal a batter who is ahead in the count (i.e., has more balls than strikes) to take , or not swing at, the next pitch. The batter's potential reward of reaching base (via a walk) exceeds the disadvantage if the next pitch is a strike. The evolution of baseball from older bat-and-ball games
720-430: A second baseman to the right of second base, a shortstop to the left of second base, and a third baseman to the right of third base. The basic outfield positions are left fielder , center fielder , and right fielder . With the exception of the catcher, all fielders are required to be in fair territory when the pitch is delivered. A neutral umpire sets up behind the catcher. Other umpires will be distributed around
900-459: A "draft dodger" and Mantle receiving threatening letters. In April 1951, Mantle was re-examined by the draft board and was once again rejected as being physically unfit for military service. A second highly publicized physical, brought on by his All-Star selection, was held in October 1952 and ended in a final rejection, this time due to the knee injury sustained in the 1951 World Series . Mantle had
1080-447: A ball that results in the team's third out, even if it is recorded against a teammate. On rare occasions, a batter may be at the plate when, without the batter's hitting the ball, a third out is recorded against a teammate—for instance, a runner getting caught stealing (tagged out attempting to steal a base). A batter with this sort of incomplete plate appearance starts off the team's next turn batting; any balls or strikes recorded against
1260-450: A base at any given time; the same applies for other runners if they are on a base that a teammate is forced to advance to. If a ball hit into play rolls foul before passing through the infield, it becomes dead and any runners must return to the base they occupied when the play began. If the ball is hit in the air and caught before it lands, the batter has flied out and any runners on base may attempt to advance only if they tag up (contact
1440-459: A center-field drive that cleared the 22-foot (6.7 m) batter's eye screen, some 75 feet beyond the 461-foot (141 m) marker at Yankee Stadium. Although Mantle was a feared power hitter from either side of the plate and hit more home runs batting left-handed than right, he was a better hitter overall right-handed: roughly 25% of his total at-bats were from the right side, producing a batting average of .330 as opposed to .281 when batting from
1620-484: A child at the hands of his older half-sister Anna Bae, who often babysat her younger half-siblings when Mantle's parents were out, as well as by other adults, including Anna Bae's friends and older boys in the neighborhood. His wife Merlyn recalled later on that Mantle also had a sexual relationship with one of his high school teachers when he was still a minor . According to Merlyn, the teacher "seduced" him: "She just laid over him." The child sexual abuse he endured at
1800-589: A coach, and then as general manager , of the Athletics during the 1950 season, Mack's last year as manager. He also owned an automobile business after his baseball days; he sold it in the mid-1950s. A heavy smoker, Cochrane was only 59 when he died in 1962 in Lake Forest, Illinois of lymphatic cancer . In his book, The Bill James Historical Baseball Abstract , baseball historian Bill James ranked Cochrane fourth all-time among major league catchers. In 1999 , he
1980-483: A few years and had a brief stint as first base and hitting coach for the Yankees in the 1970 season . Despite being one of the best-paid athletes of his era, he was a poor businessman and suffered financial setbacks from business failures. His private life was plagued by tumult and tragedy. His marriage fell apart due to his alcoholism and infidelity, and three of his sons became alcoholics, two of them dying from it. Towards
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#17328772975732160-511: A following in much of the world was a factor, more important was MLB's reluctance to allow its players to participate during the major league season. MLB initiated the World Baseball Classic , scheduled to precede its season, partly as a replacement, high-profile international tournament. The inaugural Classic , held in March 2006, was the first tournament involving national teams to feature
2340-416: A football or soccer field does not affect play the way foul territory in baseball does, so variations in that regard are largely insignificant. These physical variations create a distinctive set of playing conditions at each ballpark. Other local factors, such as altitude and climate, can also significantly affect play. A given stadium may acquire a reputation as a pitcher's park or a hitter's park, if one or
2520-457: A fraud and he was stripped of his medical license in 1975. While Maris went on to break the record on the last day of the season, Mantle finished with 54 home runs, the single-season record for a switch-hitter. He also led the AL in runs scored and walks. For the second consecutive year, he narrowly missed winning his third MVP award, finishing second to repeat winner Maris. Under new manager Ralph Houk ,
2700-435: A game, involves an individual, one-on-one contest: "the pitcher and the batter in a battle of wits". Pitcher, batter, and fielder all act essentially independent of each other. While coaching staffs can signal pitcher or batter to pursue certain tactics, the execution of the play itself is a series of solitary acts. If the batter hits a line drive, the outfielder is solely responsible for deciding to try to catch it or play it on
2880-487: A game. He ended his rookie season with a .331 batting average and a .397 on-base percentage , helping the Athletics to a second-place finish. By the start of the 1926 season, Cochrane was already considered the best catcher in the major leagues. He won the 1928 American League Most Valuable Player Award , mostly for his leadership and defensive skills, when he led the American League in putouts and hit .293 along with 10 home runs and 58 runs batted in . Cochrane
3060-553: A healthy career. In particular, the torn cartilage Mantle sustained to his right knee during the 1951 World Series was a very serious injury. Witnesses say it looked "like he had been shot." Dr. Stephen Haas, former medical director for the National Football League Players Association , has speculated that Mantle injured his ACL during that incident and played the rest of his career without having it properly treated, since an ACL could not be repaired with
3240-421: A home run at another. A team that plays in a park with a relatively short right field, such as the New York Yankees , will tend to stock its roster with left-handed pull hitters , who can best exploit it. On the individual level, a player who spends most of his career with a team that plays in a hitter's park will gain an advantage in batting statistics over time—even more so if his talents are especially suited to
3420-508: A home run off Brooklyn starter Sal Maglie . Mantle's overall performance in 1956 led to his being named Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year , and he was also awarded the Hickok Belt as the top American professional athlete of the year. Mantle won his second consecutive MVP in 1957, leading the leagues in runs scored and walks and recording a career-high batting average of .365, second best in
3600-495: A lead , the pitcher may attempt a pickoff , a quick throw to a fielder covering the base to keep the runner's lead in check or, optimally, effect a tag out. Pickoff attempts, however, are subject to rules that severely restrict the pitcher's movements before and during the pickoff attempt. Violation of any one of these rules could result in the umpire calling a balk against the pitcher, which permits any runners on base to advance one base with impunity. If an attempted stolen base
3780-465: A man. I see I raised a coward instead. You can come back to Oklahoma and work the mines with me." After his father's rebuke, Mantle gradually broke out of his slump and went on to hit .361 with 11 home runs and 50 RBIs during his stay in Kansas City. Mantle was called up to the Yankees after 40 games with Kansas City, this time wearing uniform No. 7. He hit .267 with 13 home runs and 65 RBI in 96 games as
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#17328772975733960-609: A near-fatal head injury from a beanball in 1937. After his professional baseball career, he served in the United States Navy in World War II and ran an automobile business. Cochrane died of cancer in 1962. In 1999, The Sporting News ranked him 65th on its list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players. Cochrane was born in Bridgewater, Massachusetts . His father, John Cochrane, had immigrated from Omagh , County Tyrone in what
4140-478: A new rule officially banning the spitball and other pitches that depended on the ball being treated or roughed-up with foreign substances, resulted in a ball that traveled farther when hit. The rise of the legendary player Babe Ruth , the first great power hitter of the new era, helped permanently alter the nature of the game. In the late 1920s and early 1930s, St. Louis Cardinals general manager Branch Rickey invested in several minor league clubs and developed
4320-660: A number of competitions between clubs from different countries. Other competitions between national teams, such as the Baseball World Cup and the Olympic baseball tournament , were administered by the International Baseball Federation (IBAF) from its formation in 1938 until its 2013 merger with the International Softball Federation to create the current joint governing body for both sports,
4500-408: A park with little space between the foul lines and the stands, but a foulout in a park with more expansive foul ground. A fence in foul territory that is close to the outfield line will tend to direct balls that strike it back toward the fielders, while one that is farther away may actually prompt more collisions, as outfielders run full speed to field balls deep in the corner. These variations can make
4680-539: A permanent fixture of the post-season. Regular-season interleague play was introduced in 1997 and the second-highest attendance mark for a full season was set. In 2000, the National and American Leagues were dissolved as legal entities. While their identities were maintained for scheduling purposes (and the designated hitter distinction), the regulations and other functions—such as player discipline and umpire supervision—they had administered separately were consolidated under
4860-610: A pinch-hit home run against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium. Mantle returned to the center field position on September 2 and finished the season batting .314 in 65 games. He was selected as an All-Star but, due to the foot injury, did not make the AL 25-man roster for the first time. That year, the Yankees made the World Series and were favorites to win over the Los Angeles Dodgers . They were swept in four games for
5040-427: A pitcher's park when the strong winds off Lake Michigan are blowing in, it becomes more of a hitter's park when they are blowing out. The absence of a standardized field affects not only how particular games play out, but the nature of team rosters and players' statistical records. For example, hitting a fly ball 330 feet (100 m) into right field might result in an easy catch on the warning track at one park, and
5220-411: A player has been removed for a substitute, that player may not reenter the game. Children's games often have more lenient rules, such as Little League rules, which allow players to be substituted back into the same game. If the designated hitter (DH) rule is in effect, each team has a tenth player whose sole responsibility is to bat (and run). The DH takes the place of another player—almost invariably
5400-452: A reputation for being content with mediocrity. Attendance at Navin Field had sagged for some time. Navin had originally hoped to acquire Babe Ruth and name him player-manager, but after those talks fizzled, he turned to the A's. A deal to send Cochrane to Detroit was quickly arranged, and Navin immediately named him player-manager. It was with Detroit where Cochrane cemented his reputation as
5580-508: A reserve player, and did not make an appearance in the game. In 1966, Mantle's batting average increased to .288 with 23 home runs and 56 RBI in 333 at-bats. This improvement was largely due to strong performances in June and July, when he returned to his normal form until sidelined with another injury. After the 1966 season, he was replaced by Joe Pepitone in the outfield, and spent his final two seasons at first base . On May 14, 1967, Mantle became
Mickey Mantle - Misplaced Pages Continue
5760-480: A run. The team in the field attempts to prevent runs from scoring by recording outs , which remove opposing players from offensive action until their next turn at bat comes up again. When three outs are recorded, the teams switch roles for the next half-inning. If the score of the game is tied after nine innings, extra innings are played to resolve the contest. Many amateur games, particularly unorganized ones, involve different numbers of players and innings. The game
5940-400: A runner legally advances around the bases in order and touches home plate (the place where the player started as a batter). The initial objective of the batting team is to have a player reach first base safely ; this generally occurs either when the batter hits the ball and reaches first base before an opponent retrieves the ball and touches the base, or when the pitcher persists in throwing
6120-569: A score of 2–1. This was his 16th home run in the World Series, breaking Ruth's record of 15. He hit two more home runs in the series to set a new record of 18, including an opposite field shot off Cardinals star Bob Gibson in St. Louis, and hit .333 with 8 RBIs overall. Despite Mantle's performance, the Cardinals won the World Series in seven games behind Gibson's overall excellent pitching. On April 9, 1965,
6300-441: A significant effect on how ground balls behave and are fielded as well as on baserunning. Similarly, the presence of a roof (seven major league teams play in stadiums with permanent or retractable roofs) can greatly affect how fly balls are played. While football and soccer players deal with similar variations of field surface and stadium covering, the size and shape of their fields are much more standardized. The area out-of-bounds on
6480-629: A significant number of MLB participants. The Baseball World Cup was discontinued after its 2011 edition in favor of an expanded World Baseball Classic. Baseball has certain attributes that set it apart from the other popular team sports in the countries where it has a following. All of these sports use a clock, play is less individual, and the variation between playing fields is not as substantial or important. The comparison between cricket and baseball demonstrates that many of baseball's distinctive elements are shared in various ways with its cousin sports. In clock-limited sports, games often end with
6660-719: A similar role in the Pacific Theater . In 1947 , Cochrane became the third catcher enshrined in the Baseball Hall of Fame , after Roger Bresnahan and Buck Ewing . Long after the Athletics left Philadelphia for Kansas City in 1954 without retiring his uniform number 2, the Philadelphia Phillies honored him by electing him to the Philadelphia Baseball Wall of Fame at Veterans Stadium . The Athletics' plaques from that display have since been moved to
6840-489: A single postseason. In seven games, he batted .400 (10-for-25) with 9 walks, hitting three home runs with 11 RBIs and recording an on-base percentage of .545. The Yankees lost the World Series in Game 7 on Bill Mazeroski 's walk-off home run. Mantle was devastated by the loss, reportedly crying in the clubhouse afterwards. He would later call the loss in the 1960 World Series as one of the biggest disappointments of his career. During
7020-409: A skillful contact hitter , the runner takes off with the pitch, drawing the shortstop or second baseman over to second base, creating a gap in the infield for the batter to poke the ball through. The sacrifice bunt , calls for the batter to focus on making soft contact with the ball, so that it rolls a short distance into the infield, allowing the runner to advance into scoring position as the batter
7200-602: A slugging percentage above .600. In Game 6, he homered in a 3–2 win. In Game 7, he knocked in the winning runs in the 4–2 victory, with a home run in the sixth inning and an RBI single in the seventh. Mantle's emergence as a star center fielder coincided with the Korean War . Due to his previous rejection, he was not amongst the baseball players who joined the Armed Forces, leading baseball fans and sportswriters to question his 4-F deferment . This led to newspapers even calling him
7380-703: A strong 1953 season, making the All-Star Game and helping the Yankees to another World Series, which they won against the Brooklyn Dodgers . He missed several weeks due to his previously injured knee which had been left untreated after the initial stay in hospital in 1951. After the season ended, a full two years after the injury he had picked up at the 1951 series, Mantle had surgery performed on his left knee in November 1953. The following season, Mantle recorded his first 100-RBI season while also hitting over .300 and leading
Mickey Mantle - Misplaced Pages Continue
7560-606: A team leader and his competitive nature drove the Tigers, who had been picked to finish in fourth or fifth place, to the 1934 American League championship, their first pennant in 25 years. They won 101 games, which was the most by the team for 34 years , and Cochrane was the first ever rookie manager to achieve 100 wins. Cochrane routinely platooned Gee Walker , a right-handed batter, to spell left fielder Goose Goslin and center fielder Jo-Jo White , who were both left-handed batters. Cochrane's leadership and strategic skills won him
7740-422: A team that holds the lead killing the clock rather than competing aggressively against the opposing team. In contrast, baseball has no clock, thus a team cannot win without getting the last batter out and rallies are not constrained by time. At almost any turn in any baseball game, the most advantageous strategy is some form of aggressive strategy. Whereas, in the case of multi-day Test and first-class cricket ,
7920-415: A thirteen-game spring training tour of the west coast. Both home runs, one from each side of the plate, reportedly traveled a distance of at least 500 feet. Impressed by the 19-year-old's power, Yankees manager Casey Stengel decided to promote Mantle to the majors as a right fielder instead of sending him to the minors; his salary for the 1951 season was $ 7,500. Mantle was assigned uniform No. 6, signifying
8100-414: Is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each, taking turns batting and fielding . The game occurs over the course of several plays , with each play generally beginning when a player on the fielding team , called the pitcher , throws a ball that a player on the batting team , called the batter , tries to hit with a bat . The objective of the offensive team (batting team)
8280-514: Is a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame . In his first season as manager, he led the Tigers to 101 wins, which was the most for a rookie manager for 27 years (since Cochrane, six other managers have won 100 games as a rookie). Cochrane was born in Massachusetts and was a multi-sport athlete at Boston University . After college, he chose baseball over basketball and football. He made his major league debut in 1925, having spent only one season in
8460-514: Is among the best in baseball history, and is the highest all-time among catchers. In 1932 , he became the first major league catcher to score 100 runs and produce 100 runs batted in during the same season. He hit for the cycle twice in his career, on July 22, 1932 and August 2, 1933 . In his first 11 years, he never caught fewer than 110 games. He led American League catchers six times in putouts and twice each in double plays assists and fielding percentage . Cochrane returned to
8640-402: Is anticipated, the catcher may call for a pitchout , a ball thrown deliberately off the plate, allowing the catcher to catch it while standing and throw quickly to a base. Facing a batter with a strong tendency to hit to one side of the field, the fielding team may employ a shift , with most or all of the fielders moving to the left or right of their usual positions. With a runner on third base,
8820-441: Is awarded a base on balls or walk, a free advance to first base. (A batter may also freely advance to first base if the batter's body or uniform is struck by a pitch outside the strike zone, provided the batter does not swing and attempts to avoid being hit.) Crucial to determining balls and strikes is the umpire's judgment as to whether a pitch has passed through the strike zone , a conceptual area above home plate extending from
9000-424: Is called a grand slam . A player who reaches base due to a fielding mistake is not credited with a hit—instead, the responsible fielder is charged with an error . Any runners already on base may attempt to advance on batted balls that land, or contact the ground, in fair territory, before or after the ball lands. A runner on first base must attempt to advance if a ball lands in play, as only one runner may occupy
9180-414: Is called. While the team at bat is trying to score runs, the team in the field is attempting to record outs. In addition to the strikeout and flyout, common ways a member of the batting team may be put out include the ground out , force out , and tag out . These occur either when a runner is forced to advance to a base, and a fielder with possession of the ball reaches that base before the runner does, or
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#17328772975739360-558: Is difficult to trace with precision. Consensus once held that today's baseball is a North American development from the older game rounders , popular among children in Great Britain and Ireland . American baseball historian David Block suggests that the game originated in England ; recently uncovered historical evidence supports this position. Block argues that rounders and early baseball were actually regional variants of each other, and that
9540-452: Is now Northern Ireland and his mother, Sadie Campbell, had come from Prince Edward Island , Canada, whence her family had immigrated from Scotland . He was also known as "Black Mike" because of his fiery, competitive nature. Cochrane was educated at Boston University , where he played five sports, excelling at football and basketball. Although Cochrane considered himself a better football player than baseball player, professional football
9720-411: Is one), or if the batter-runner otherwise safely circles all the bases, it is a home run : the batter and any runners on base may all freely circle the bases, each scoring a run. This is the most desirable result for the batter. The ultimate and most desirable result possible for a batter would be to hit a home run while all three bases are occupied or "loaded", thus scoring four runs on a single hit. This
9900-405: Is played on a field whose primary boundaries, the foul lines, extend forward from home plate at 45-degree angles. The 90-degree area within the foul lines is referred to as fair territory; the 270-degree area outside them is foul territory. The part of the field enclosed by the bases and several yards beyond them is the infield ; the area farther beyond the infield is the outfield . In the middle of
10080-479: Is the only player to hit 150 home runs from both sides of the plate. Mantle hit 536 career home runs while batting .300 or more ten times; he is 16th all-time in home runs per at-bat and 17th in on-base percentage . Mantle won the Triple Crown in 1956, when he led the major leagues in batting average (.353), home runs (52), and runs batted in (RBI) (130). He was an All-Star for 16 seasons, playing in 16 of
10260-474: Is thrown out at first. A batter, particularly one who is a fast runner, may also attempt to bunt for a hit. A sacrifice bunt employed with a runner on third base, aimed at bringing that runner home, is known as a squeeze play . With a runner on third and fewer than two outs, a batter may instead concentrate on hitting a fly ball that, even if it is caught, will be deep enough to allow the runner to tag up and score—a successful batter, in this case, gets credit for
10440-403: Is to hit the ball into the field of play, away from the other team's players, allowing its players to run the bases , having them advance counter-clockwise around four bases to score what are called " runs ". The objective of the defensive team (referred to as the fielding team) is to prevent batters from becoming runners , and to prevent runners advancing around the bases . A run is scored when
10620-626: The 1934 Most Valuable Player Award, remarkable considering that Lou Gehrig had won the Triple Crown . He followed this by leading the Tigers to another American League pennant in 1935 and earning a victory over the Chicago Cubs in the 1935 World Series ; it was Detroit's first undisputed world championship. In late 1935, the Detroit Free Press speculated Cochrane might eventually succeed Navin as team president. Due in part to his high-strung nature, as well as considerable pressure to join
10800-502: The 1961 season , Mantle and teammate Roger Maris , known as the M&;M Boys , pursued Babe Ruth's 1927 single-season record of 60 home runs. Five years earlier, Mantle had challenged Ruth's record for most of the season, and the New York press had been protective of Ruth on that occasion. When Mantle finally fell short, finishing with 52 home runs, many reporters were relieved. The New York press
10980-552: The American League , which evolved from the minor Western League , was established in 1893, and virtually all of the modern baseball rules were in place by then. The National Agreement of 1903 formalized relations both between the two major leagues and between them and the National Association of Professional Base Ball Leagues, representing most of the country's minor professional leagues . The World Series , pitting
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#173287729757311160-579: The Black Legion (political movement) , then-prominent in the Detroit area, he suffered a nervous breakdown during the 1936 season. On May 25, 1937 , Cochrane was hit in the head by a pitch from Yankees pitcher Bump Hadley . Cochrane had homered in his previous at-bat that day. Hospitalized for seven days, Cochrane nearly died from the injury. This accident generated a call for protective helmets for batters, although tradition won out at that time. Cochrane
11340-530: The Houston Astros and the Yankees played an exhibition game to inaugurate the Astrodome , the world's first multi-purpose, domed sports stadium. In the sixth inning Mantle hit the park's first home run. By 1965, he and the aging Yankees were slowed by injuries, finishing sixth in the AL rankings. Mantle hit .255 with 19 home runs and 46 RBI in 361 plate appearances. He was again selected as an All-Star, this time as
11520-487: The National Association of Base Ball Players , was formed. In 1867, it barred participation by African Americans . The more formally structured National League was founded in 1876. Professional Negro leagues formed, but quickly folded. In 1887, softball , under the name of indoor baseball or indoor-outdoor, was invented as a winter version of the parent game. The National League's first successful counterpart,
11700-750: The West League and East League . The World Baseball Classic , organized by the World Baseball Softball Confederation , is the major international competition of the sport and attracts the top national teams from around the world. Baseball was played at the Olympic Games from 1992 to 2008, and was reinstated on a one-off basis in 2020. A baseball game is played between two teams, each usually composed of nine players, that take turns playing offense (batting and baserunning) and defense (pitching and fielding). A pair of turns, one at bat and one in
11880-456: The World Baseball Softball Confederation (WBSC). Women's baseball is played on an organized amateur basis in numerous countries. After being admitted to the Olympics as a medal sport beginning with the 1992 Games , baseball was dropped from the 2012 Summer Olympic Games at the 2005 International Olympic Committee meeting . It remained part of the 2008 Games . While the sport's lack of
12060-455: The ball , the bat , and the glove or mitt : Protective helmets are also standard equipment for all batters. At the beginning of each half-inning, the nine players of the fielding team arrange themselves around the field. One of them, the pitcher , stands on the pitcher's mound. The pitcher begins the pitching delivery with one foot on the rubber, pushing off it to gain velocity when throwing toward home plate. Another fielding team player,
12240-408: The catcher , squats on the far side of home plate, facing the pitcher. The rest of the fielding team faces home plate, typically arranged as four infielders—who set up along or within a few yards outside the imaginary lines (basepaths) between first, second, and third base—and three outfielders. In the standard arrangement , there is a first baseman positioned several steps to the left of first base,
12420-753: The national sport of the United States , though in modern times is considered less popular than other sports , such as American football . In addition to North America , baseball spread throughout the rest of the Americas and the Asia–Pacific in the 19th and 20th centuries, and is now considered the most popular sport in parts of Central and South America , the Caribbean , and East Asia , particularly in Japan , South Korea , and Taiwan . In Major League Baseball (MLB),
12600-410: The slider . Pitchers have different repertoires of pitches they are skillful at throwing. Conventionally, before each pitch, the catcher signals the pitcher what type of pitch to throw, as well as its general vertical or horizontal location. If there is disagreement on the selection, the pitcher may shake off the sign and the catcher will call for a different pitch. With a runner on base and taking
12780-423: The wicket for an hour or much more. There is no statistical equivalent in cricket for the fielding error and thus less emphasis on personal responsibility in this area of play. Unlike those of most sports, baseball playing fields can vary significantly in size and shape. While the dimensions of the infield are specifically regulated, the only constraint on outfield size and shape for professional teams, following
12960-474: The 1920s, it was joined by the Eastern Colored League . Compared with the present, professional baseball in the early 20th century was lower-scoring, and pitchers were more dominant. This so-called " dead-ball era " ended in the early 1920s with several changes in rule and circumstance that were advantageous to hitters. Strict new regulations governed the ball's size, shape and composition, along with
13140-441: The 1952 season. He played that position full-time for the Yankees until 1965, when he was moved to left field near the end of his career. That year, Mantle was selected as an All-Star for the first time but did not make an appearance in the rain-shortened All-Star Game . The Yankees won the pennant and faced the Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series. Mantle performed well in the series, recording an on-base percentage above .400 and
13320-516: The 20 All-Star Games that he was selected for. He also had a solid .984 fielding percentage when playing center field, winning a Gold Glove in that position. He appeared in 12 World Series , winning seven championships, and holds World Series records for the most home runs (18), RBIs (40), extra-base hits (26), runs (42), walks (43), and total bases (123), and he has the highest World Series on-base and slugging percentages. After retirement, Mantle worked as sports commentator for NBC for
13500-512: The AL. That season, Mantle reached base more times than he made outs (319 to 312), one of two seasons in which he achieved the feat. In the 1957 World Series , the Yankees faced the Milwaukee Braves . During Game 5, Mantle suffered a torn tendon in his left shoulder from a collision with Braves second baseman Red Schoendienst . The Braves won the series in seven games and the injury would lead to Mantle having struggles in his uppercut swing from
13680-488: The All-Star team as a reserve player in 1959. In the first game, he was used as a pinch runner and as replacement right fielder. In the second game, Mantle was the starting center fielder, recording a single and a walk in four at-bats. Mantle began the 1960 season slowly, with his batting average dropping as low as .228 in June. However, he regained his form and finished the season leading the AL in home runs and runs scored, as
13860-470: The Braves, this time coming out victorious. Despite his strong season, the Yankees declined Mantle's request for a contract raise to $ 85,000, citing that his batting average was almost 61 points lower than the year before. After briefly holding out, Mantle eventually settled for their lower offer of $ 70,000. In the 1959 season, as the Yankees finished third in the AL rankings, Mantle's overall numbers declined from
14040-445: The DH rule, including MLB, Japan's Pacific League , and Caribbean professional leagues, along with major American amateur organizations. The Central League in Japan does not have the rule and high-level minor league clubs connected to National League teams are not required to field a DH. In leagues that apply the designated hitter rule, a typical team has nine offensive regulars (including
14220-681: The DH), five starting pitchers, seven or eight relievers, a backup catcher, and two or three other reserve players. The manager , or head coach, oversees the team's major strategic decisions, such as establishing the starting rotation, setting the lineup, or batting order, before each game, and making substitutions during games—in particular, bringing in relief pitchers. Managers are typically assisted by two or more coaches ; they may have specialized responsibilities, such as working with players on hitting, fielding, pitching, or strength and conditioning. At most levels of organized play, two coaches are stationed on
14400-509: The Dodgers. Latin-American players, largely overlooked before, also started entering the majors in greater numbers. In 1951, two Chicago White Sox, Venezuelan-born Chico Carrasquel and black Cuban-born Minnie Miñoso , became the first Hispanic All-Stars . Integration proceeded slowly: by 1953, only six of the 16 major league teams had a black player on the roster. In 1975, the union's power—and players' salaries—began to increase greatly when
14580-694: The Gotham Club. While there are reports that the New York Knickerbockers played games in 1845, the contest long recognized as the first officially recorded baseball game in U.S. history took place on June 19, 1846, in Hoboken, New Jersey : the "New York Nine" defeated the Knickerbockers, 23–1, in four innings. With the Knickerbocker code as the basis, the rules of modern baseball continued to evolve over
14760-600: The Philadelphia Athletics Museum in Hatboro, Pennsylvania . The Tigers honored him by renaming National Avenue (behind the third-base stands of the old Tiger Stadium ) Cochrane Avenue. Despite making the Hall of Fame, The Tigers did not retire his uniform number No. 3. 71 years later, it was retired for Alan Trammell —22 years after his retirement. Cochrane briefly worked in baseball after World War II, notably serving as
14940-618: The Philadelphia pitching staff's carelessness in holding runners as a contributing factor. Notwithstanding this, the blame for the 1931 World Series loss dogged Cochrane for the rest of his life. In 1934 , Mack started to disassemble his dynasty for financial reasons and put Cochrane on the trade block. He found a willing recipient in the Detroit Tigers . Their owner, Frank Navin , was also suffering from financial troubles. They had not finished higher than third since 1923, and had developed
15120-616: The United States and Canada was founded in 1878 in Cuba, which maintains a rich baseball tradition. The Dominican Republic held its first islandwide championship tournament in 1912. Professional baseball tournaments and leagues began to form in other countries between the world wars, including the Netherlands (formed in 1922), Australia (1934), Japan (1936), Mexico (1937), and Puerto Rico (1938). The Japanese major leagues have long been considered
15300-834: The United States. While baseball is widely played in Canada and many minor league teams have been based in the country, the American major leagues did not include a Canadian club until 1969, when the Montreal Expos joined the National League as an expansion team. In 1977, the expansion Toronto Blue Jays joined the American League. In 1847, American soldiers played what may have been the first baseball game in Mexico at Parque Los Berros in Xalapa , Veracruz . The first formal baseball league outside of
15480-405: The Yankees gave Mantle a contract of $ 100,000, making him the fifth player to reach that pinnacle, after Hank Greenberg , Joe DiMaggio, Ted Williams , and Stan Musial ( 1958 and 1959 ) . Only Willie Mays , with a salary of $ 105,000, made more than Mantle in 1963. Having reached the $ 100,000 salary threshold, Mantle never asked for another raise. On May 22, 1963, Mantle hit a long drive off
15660-588: The Yankees reached the World Series against the New York Giants . In the second game of the 1951 World Series , Giants rookie Willie Mays hit a fly ball to right-center field. Mantle, playing right field, raced for the ball together with center fielder DiMaggio. At the last moment, the latter called for the ball. In attempting to stay out of DiMaggio's way, Mantle's spikes got caught over an exposed drain pipe. His knee twisted awkwardly and he fell instantly, his right knee injured severely. Mantle had to be carried off
15840-465: The Yankees won the World Series that year against the Cincinnati Reds . Neither Mantle nor Maris performed well in the series, recording between them three hits and two RBIs in twenty-five at-bats over five games. In 1962, Mantle batted .321 in 121 games and was selected as an All-Star for the eleventh consecutive season. He played in the first game but, due to the recurrence of an old injury, sat out
16020-525: The Yankees won the pennant. That year, Mantle started in both All-Star games, getting two walks in the first and a single in the second. Although his batting average was the lowest since his rookie year, a league-leading 40 home runs and 94 RBIs saw him come a close second to teammate Roger Maris in the MVP race. In the 1960 World Series against the Pittsburgh Pirates , Mantle turned in his best performance in
16200-668: The age of 37 on March 1, 1969. He delivered a farewell speech on Mickey Mantle Day, June 8, 1969, at Yankee Stadium. Mantle's wife, mother, and mother-in-law were in attendance and received recognition at the ceremony held in his honor. When he retired, Mantle was third on the all-time home-run list with 536, and he was the Yankees' all-time leader in games played with 2,401, a record that would be broken by Derek Jeter on August 29, 2011. In his career, Mantle batted .298 with an on-base percentage of .421 and an on-base plus slugging percentage of .997. He accumulated 2,415 hits, including 536 home runs, 344 doubles, and 72 triples. While Mantle led
16380-486: The average major league game has increased steadily through the years. At the turn of the 20th century, games typically took an hour and a half to play. In the 1920s, they averaged just less than two hours, which eventually ballooned to 2:38 in 1960. By 1997, the average American League game lasted 2:57 (National League games were about 10 minutes shorter—pitchers at the plate making for quicker outs than designated hitters). In 2004, Major League Baseball declared that its goal
16560-474: The ball out of the batter's reach . Players on the batting team who reach first base without being called " out " can attempt to advance to subsequent bases as a runner, either immediately or during teammates' turns batting. The fielding team tries to prevent runs by using the ball to get batters or runners "out", which forces them out of the field of play. The pitcher can get the batter out by throwing three pitches which result in strikes , while fielders can get
16740-440: The base they occupied when the play began, as or after the ball is caught). Runners may also attempt to advance to the next base while the pitcher is in the process of delivering the ball to home plate; a successful effort is a stolen base . A pitch that is not hit into the field of play is called either a strike or a ball. A batter against whom three strikes are recorded strikes out . A batter against whom four balls are recorded
16920-413: The baseball in a certain manner, and by throwing it at a certain speed, pitchers can cause the baseball to break to either side, or downward, as it approaches the batter, thus creating differing pitches that can be selected. Among the resulting wide variety of pitches that may be thrown, the four basic types are the fastball , the changeup (or off-speed pitch), and two breaking balls —the curveball and
17100-429: The batter out by catching a batted ball before it touches the ground, and can get a runner out by tagging them with the ball while the runner is not touching a base. The opposing teams switch back and forth between batting and fielding; the batting team's turn to bat is over once the fielding team records three outs. One turn batting for each team constitutes an inning . A game is usually composed of nine innings, and
17280-454: The batter the previous inning are erased. A runner may circle the bases only once per plate appearance and thus can score at most a single run per batting turn. Once a player has completed a plate appearance, that player may not bat again until the eight other members of the player's team have all taken their turn at bat in the batting order . The batting order is set before the game begins, and may not be altered except for substitutions . Once
17460-457: The best play of his career. He later referred to it as "probably the only good catch I ever made. I wasn't that good of a fielder." Mantle's career was plagued with injuries. Beginning in high school, he suffered both acute and chronic injuries to bones and cartilage in his legs. By the end of his career simply swinging a bat caused him to fall to one knee in pain. Baseball scholars often ponder "what if" had Mantle not been injured but able to enjoy
17640-450: The bottom, or second half, of every inning. The goal of the game is to score more points ( runs ) than the other team. The players on the team at bat attempt to score runs by touching all four bases, in order, set at the corners of the square-shaped baseball diamond . A player bats at home plate and must attempt to safely reach a base before proceeding, counterclockwise , from first base, to second base, third base, and back home to score
17820-413: The bounce and for succeeding or failing. The statistical precision of baseball is both facilitated by this isolation and reinforces it. Cricket is more similar to baseball than many other team sports in this regard: while the individual focus in cricket is mitigated by the importance of the batting partnership and the practicalities of tandem running, it is enhanced by the fact that a batsman may occupy
18000-667: The center field fence, which was 460 feet from home plate. In 1950, Mantle was promoted to the Class-C Joplin Miners of the Western Association , where he won the Western Association batting title with a .383 average. He hit 26 home runs and recorded 136 RBIs, but struggled defensively at shortstop. In July 1950, after the start of the Korean War , Mantle was drafted for military service. The draft board rejected him as physically unqualified for military service due
18180-473: The difference between a double and a triple or inside-the-park home run . The surface of the field is also unregulated. While the adjacent image shows a traditional field surfacing arrangement (and the one used by virtually all MLB teams with naturally surfaced fields), teams are free to decide what areas will be grassed or bare. Some fields—including several in MLB—use artificial turf . Surface variations can have
18360-404: The dugout to continue managing the Tigers but had lost his competitive fire. He managed for the remainder of the 1937 season but was replaced midway through the 1938 season by coach and former catcher Del Baker . His all-time managerial record was 348-250, for a .582 winning percentage. Despite his head injury, Cochrane served in the United States Navy during World War II . Commissioned as
18540-613: The early 1830s, there were reports of a variety of uncodified bat-and-ball games recognizable as early forms of baseball being played around North America. The first officially recorded baseball game in North America was played in Beachville, Ontario , Canada, on June 4, 1838. In 1845, Alexander Cartwright , a member of New York City's Knickerbocker Club , led the codification of the so-called Knickerbocker Rules , which in turn were based on rules developed in 1837 by William R. Wheaton of
18720-418: The effect of shortening 2023 regular season games by 24 minutes on average. Although baseball is a team sport, individual players are often placed under scrutiny and pressure. While rewarding, it has sometimes been described as "ruthless" due to the pressure on the individual player. In 1915, a baseball instructional manual pointed out that every single pitch, of which there are often more than two hundred in
18900-664: The end of his life, Mantle came to regret his hard lifestyle and the damage he had inflicted on his family. Before his final year, he was treated for alcoholism and became sober, afterwards warning others of the dangers of hard drinking. He died from liver cancer brought on by years of alcohol abuse in Dallas, Texas , aged 63. Mantle was born on October 20, 1931, in Spavinaw, Oklahoma , the son of Lovell Thelma (née Richardson; previously Davis) (1904–1995) and Elvin Charles "Mutt" Mantle (1912–1952). He
19080-621: The expectation from the Yankees front office that he would become the next Yankees star, following Babe Ruth (No. 3), Lou Gehrig (No. 4), and Joe DiMaggio (No. 5). After a brief slump, Mantle was sent down to the Yankees' top farm team, the Kansas City Blues . His struggles at the plate continued. Out of frustration, he called his father and told him: "I don't think I can play baseball anymore." Mutt Mantle drove up to Kansas City that day. When he arrived, he started packing his son's clothes and, according to Mantle, said: "I thought I raised
19260-431: The field as well. Play starts with a member of the batting team, the batter, standing in either of the two batter's boxes next to home plate, holding a bat. The batter waits for the pitcher to throw a pitch (the ball) toward home plate, and attempts to hit the ball with the bat. The catcher catches pitches that the batter does not hit—as a result of either electing not to swing or failing to connect—and returns them to
19440-417: The field on a stretcher. This was the first of numerous injuries that were to plague his eighteen-year career with the Yankees. He was to play the rest of his career with a torn anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). Accompanying his son to the hospital after the game, Mantle's father collapsed onto the sidewalk while trying to help his son into a taxi. The two were given hospital beds in the same room and watched
19620-476: The field to confer with players during a game. Any baseball game involves one or more umpires , who make rulings on the outcome of each play. At a minimum, one umpire will stand behind the catcher, to have a good view of the strike zone, and call balls and strikes. Additional umpires may be stationed near the other bases, thus making it easier to judge plays such as attempted force outs and tag outs. In MLB, four umpires are used for each game, one near each base. In
19800-467: The field when the team is at bat: the first base coach and third base coach, who occupy designated coaches' boxes, just outside the foul lines. These coaches assist in the direction of baserunners, when the ball is in play, and relay tactical signals from the manager to batters and runners, during pauses in play. In contrast to many other team sports, baseball managers and coaches generally wear their team's uniforms; coaches must be in uniform to be allowed on
19980-473: The field, by each team constitutes an inning . A game consists of nine innings (seven innings at the high school level and in doubleheaders in college, Minor League Baseball and, since the 2020 season , Major League Baseball ; and six innings at the Little League level). One team—customarily the visiting team—bats in the top, or first half, of every inning. The other team—customarily the home team—bats in
20160-410: The field, returning to their team's dugout or bench. A runner may be stranded on base when a third out is recorded against another player on the team. Stranded runners do not benefit the team in its next turn at bat as every half-inning begins with the bases empty. An individual player's turn batting or plate appearance is complete when the player reaches base, hits a home run, makes an out, or hits
20340-687: The first British baseball champions winning the 1890 National League of Baseball of Great Britain . The 2020 National Champions were the London Mets . Other European countries have seen professional leagues; the most successful, other than the Dutch league , is the Italian league , founded in 1948. In 2004, Australia won a surprise silver medal at the Olympic Games . The Confédération Européene de Baseball (European Baseball Confederation), founded in 1953, organizes
20520-604: The first modern farm system . A new Negro National League was organized in 1933; four years later, it was joined by the Negro American League . The first elections to the National Baseball Hall of Fame took place in 1936. In 1939, Little League Baseball was founded in Pennsylvania. Many minor league teams disbanded when World War II led to a player shortage. Chicago Cubs owner Philip K. Wrigley led
20700-420: The first time in franchise history. In Game 1, Mantle struck out twice against Cy Young Award winner and National League MVP Sandy Koufax , who finished with a record-setting 15 strikeouts in a World Series game. In Game 4, he hit a home run off Koufax to tie Babe Ruth 's record of 15 in the World Series. With the tying run on base in the ninth inning, he struck out against Koufax for the third time. He finished
20880-581: The formation of the All-American Girls Professional Baseball League to help keep the game in the public eye. The first crack in the unwritten agreement barring blacks from white-controlled professional ball occurred in 1945: Jackie Robinson was signed by the National League's Brooklyn Dodgers and began playing for their minor league team in Montreal . In 1947, Robinson broke the major leagues' color barrier when he debuted with
21060-596: The game's most direct antecedents are the English games of stoolball and "tut-ball". The earliest known reference to baseball is in a 1744 British publication, A Little Pretty Pocket-Book , by John Newbery . Block discovered that the first recorded game of "Bass-Ball" took place in 1749 in Surrey , and featured the Prince of Wales as a player. This early form of the game was apparently brought to Canada by English immigrants. By
21240-687: The game, Mantle hit three home runs. Greenwade returned in 1949, after Mantle's high school graduation, to sign Mantle to a minor league contract with the Yankees at $ 140 per month (equivalent to $ 1,800 in 2023), with a $ 1,500 signing bonus (equivalent to $ 19,200 in 2023). Mantle was assigned to the Yankees' Class-D Independence Yankees of the Kansas–Oklahoma–Missouri League , where he played shortstop and hit .313. He hit his first professional home run on June 30, 1949, at Shulthis Stadium in Independence, Kansas . The ball went over
21420-559: The hands of family and adults likely contributed to Mantle's self-destructive behavior as an adult, with biographer Jane Leavy speculating that Mantle, like many childhood sexual abuse victims, likely suffered from complex post-traumatic stress disorder . Mantle began his professional baseball career in Kansas with the semi-professional Baxter Springs Whiz Kids. In 1948, Yankees scout Tom Greenwade came to Baxter Springs to watch Mantle's teammate, third baseman Willard "Billy" Johnson. During
21600-490: The height of fences or other structures at the edge of the outfield. The most famously idiosyncratic outfield boundary is the left-field wall at Boston's Fenway Park , in use since 1912: the Green Monster is 310 feet (94 m) from home plate down the line and 37 feet (11 m) tall. Similarly, there are no regulations at all concerning the dimensions of foul territory. Thus a foul fly ball may be entirely out of play in
21780-558: The highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, teams are divided into the National League (NL) and American League (AL), each with three divisions: East, West, and Central. The MLB champion is determined by playoffs that culminate in the World Series . The top level of play is similarly split in Japan between the Central and Pacific Leagues and in Cuba between
21960-821: The highest quality professional circuits outside of the United States. After World War II, professional leagues were founded in many Latin American countries, most prominently Venezuela (1946) and the Dominican Republic (1955). Since the early 1970s, the annual Caribbean Series has matched the championship clubs from the four leading Latin American winter leagues: the Dominican Professional Baseball League , Mexican Pacific League , Puerto Rican Professional Baseball League , and Venezuelan Professional Baseball League . In Asia, South Korea (1982), Taiwan (1990) and China (2003) all have professional leagues. The English football club, Aston Villa , were
22140-425: The infield is a raised pitcher's mound, with a rectangular rubber plate (the rubber) at its center. The outer boundary of the outfield is typically demarcated by a raised fence, which may be of any material and height. The fair territory between home plate and the outfield boundary is baseball's field of play, though significant events can take place in foul territory, as well. There are three basic tools of baseball:
22320-410: The infielders may play in , moving closer to home plate to improve the odds of throwing out the runner on a ground ball , though a sharply hit grounder is more likely to carry through a drawn-in infield. Several basic offensive tactics come into play with a runner on first base, including the fundamental choice of whether to attempt a steal of second base. The hit and run is sometimes employed, with
22500-408: The league in strikeouts five times, holding the all-time record at the time of his retirement, he was also adept at drawing walks. He led the majors in walks five times and finished with at least 100 walks in a season ten times. As an outfielder, he recorded a career fielding percentage of .982. Mantle was selected as an All-Star every season during his 18-year career except for 1951 and 1966. He
22680-407: The league in runs scored. He had a strong season in 1955 as well, leading the AL in home runs, triples , and walks, and recording a .306 batting average. The 1956 season was, statistically, Mantle's greatest and was later described by him as his "favorite summer." He led the majors with .353 batting average, 52 home runs, and 130 RBIs, winning the Triple Crown , the only switch hitter to do so. This
22860-416: The left side for the remainder of his career. Still recovering from his shoulder injury, Mantle's 1958 season started slowly; during the first half, he was hitting a modest .274. He eventually regained his form, hitting .330 in the second half of the season, finishing with .304 batting average and leading the league in home runs, runs scored, and walks. He led the Yankees back to a World Series rematch against
23040-560: The left side over the next decade. After retiring from baseball, Mantle briefly served as a part-time color commentator for NBC on Game of the Week . In 1969, he was the color commentator for the All-Star Game . He also served as a pre-game analyst for the 1969 and 1970 World Series . He was one of four color commentators used by the Expos during the 1972 season. Baseball Baseball
23220-470: The left side. His 372 (left) to 164 (right) home run disparity was due to Mantle having batted left-handed much more often, as a large majority of pitchers are right-handed. In spite of short foul pole dimensions of 296 feet (90 m) to left and 301 feet (92 m) to right in the original Yankee Stadium, Mantle gained no advantage there as his stroke both left and right-handed drove balls to power alleys of 344–407 feet (right center) and 402–457 feet (left center) from
23400-505: The lowest marks in history. In both 1953 and 1961, he hit into only two double plays over the course of 1,186 plate appearances . Though not a flashy fielder, Mantle was an overall solid center fielder, especially considering he did not play the position until after he had reached the Major Leagues. Manager Casey Stengel , unimpressed with him at shortstop, moved him to the outfield before his rookie year. Over time, Mantle developed one of
23580-439: The manager of the batting team trying to arrange opposite-handed matchups. With a team that has the lead in the late innings, a manager may remove a starting position player—especially one whose turn at bat is not likely to come up again—for a more skillful fielder (known as a defensive substitution ). The tactical decision that precedes almost every play in a baseball game involves pitch selection. By gripping and then releasing
23760-550: The mid-18th century. This game was brought by immigrants to North America, where the modern version developed . Baseball's American origins, as well as its reputation as a source of escapism during troubled points in American history such as the American Civil War and the Great Depression , have led the sport to receive the moniker of "America's Pastime"; since the late 19th century, it has been unofficially recognized as
23940-407: The midpoint between the batter's shoulders and belt down to the hollow of the knee. Any pitch which does not pass through the strike zone is called a ball, unless the batter either swings and misses at the pitch, or hits the pitch into foul territory; an exception generally occurs if the ball is hit into foul territory when the batter already has two strikes, in which case neither a ball nor a strike
24120-414: The minor leagues. He was chosen as the American League (AL) Most Valuable Player in 1928 and he appeared in the World Series from 1929 to 1931. Philadelphia won the first two of those World Series, but Cochrane was criticized for giving up stolen bases when his team lost the series in 1931. Cochrane's career batting average (.320) is still an MLB record for a catcher. Cochrane's career ended abruptly after
24300-586: The nearby town of Commerce, Oklahoma , where his father worked in lead and zinc mines. A semi-pro player himself, Mutt Mantle decided that his eldest son would be a baseball player before Mantle was even born. He named his eldest son after Hall of Fame catcher Mickey Cochrane and, very early on, began training Mickey to become a switch-hitter: Mantle later recalled batting left-handed against his father, who pitched to him right-handed, and batting right-handed against his grandfather, Charles Mantle, who pitched to him left-handed. In addition to baseball , Mantle
24480-503: The next half-century. The game then went on to spread throughout the Pacific Rim and the Americas, with Americans backing the sport as a way to spread American values. In the mid-1850s, a baseball craze hit the New York metropolitan area , and by 1856, local journals were referring to baseball as the "national pastime" or "national game". A year later, the sport's first governing body,
24660-466: The osteomyelitic condition of his left leg and gave him a 4-F deferment , the first of three times he was rejected for military service. Mantle was invited to the Yankees instructional camp before the 1951 season and proceeded to make a big impression during spring training. One famous incident was when he hit two home runs at Bovard Field against the USC Trojans baseball team , when the Yankees were on
24840-536: The other discipline notably benefits from its unique mix of elements. The most exceptional park in this regard is Coors Field , home of the Colorado Rockies . Its high altitude—5,282 feet (1,610 m) above sea level—is partly responsible for giving it the strongest hitter's park effect in the major leagues due to the low air pressure. Wrigley Field , home of the Chicago Cubs, is known for its fickle disposition:
25020-529: The park. Mickey Cochrane As manager Gordon Stanley " Mickey " Cochrane (April 6, 1903 – June 28, 1962), nicknamed " Black Mike ", was an American professional baseball player, manager and coach . He played in Major League Baseball as a catcher for the Philadelphia Athletics and Detroit Tigers . Cochrane was considered one of the best catchers in baseball history and
25200-441: The pitcher. A batter who hits the ball into the field of play must drop the bat and begin running toward first base, at which point the player is referred to as a runner (or, until the play is over, a batter-runner ). A batter-runner who reaches first base without being put out is said to be safe and is on base. A batter-runner may choose to remain at first base or attempt to advance to second base or even beyond—however far
25380-461: The pitcher—in the batting order, but does not field. Thus, even with the DH, each team still has a batting order of nine players and a fielding arrangement of nine players. The number of players on a baseball roster, or squad , varies by league and by the level of organized play. A Major League Baseball (MLB) team has a roster of 26 players with specific roles. A typical roster features the following players: Most baseball leagues worldwide have
25560-431: The plate. Overall, he hit slightly more home runs away (270) than home (266). Despite being known for power hitting, Mantle was also regarded as one of the best bunters for base hits. He is in 10th place in number of bases-empty bunt singles, with 80 in only 148 at-bats. He was also known for his remarkable ability to avoid grounding into double plays : for every 100 at-bats, Mantle grounded into 1.40 double plays, one of
25740-424: The player believes can be reached safely. A player who reaches base despite proper play by the fielders has recorded a hit . A player who reaches first base safely on a hit is credited with a single . If a player makes it to second base safely as a direct result of a hit, it is a double ; third base, a triple . If the ball is hit in the air within the foul lines over the entire outfield (and outfield fence, if there
25920-447: The playoffs, six umpires are used: one at each base and two in the outfield along the foul lines. Many of the pre-game and in-game strategic decisions in baseball revolve around a fundamental fact: in general, right-handed batters tend to be more successful against left-handed pitchers and, to an even greater degree, left-handed batters tend to be more successful against right-handed pitchers. A manager with several left-handed batters in
26100-404: The possibility of a draw (which occurs because of the restrictions on time, which like in baseball, originally did not exist ) often encourages a team that is batting last and well behind, to bat defensively and run out the clock, giving up any faint chance at a win, to avoid an overall loss. While nine innings has been the standard since the beginning of professional baseball, the duration of
26280-456: The preceding decade's average of 3:18. In 2016, the average nine-inning playoff game in Major League baseball was 3 hours and 35 minutes. This was up 10 minutes from 2015 and 21 minutes from 2014. In response to the lengthening of the game, MLB decided from the 2023 season onward to institute a pitch clock rule to penalize batters and pitchers who take too much time between pitches; this had
26460-450: The previous season. He recorded only 75 RBIs and also racked up a league-leading 126 strikeouts. Though he led the team in base stealing (23), runs scored (104), on-base percentage (.390), and fielding percentage (.995), Mantle agreed to take a salary cut of $ 10,000 at the end of the season. The 1959 season was also the first of four consecutive seasons when two All-Star games were played, with Mantle playing in seven of these games. Mantle made
26640-463: The regular lineup, who knows the team will be facing a left-handed starting pitcher, may respond by starting one or more of the right-handed backups on the team's roster. During the late innings of a game, as relief pitchers and pinch hitters are brought in, the opposing managers will often go back and forth trying to create favorable matchups with their substitutions. The manager of the fielding team trying to arrange same-handed pitcher-batter matchups and
26820-404: The remainder of the World Series together. Mutt Mantle was diagnosed with Hodgkin's disease ; he died a few months later at the age of 40, on May 7, 1952. Mantle, at the time away with the Yankees, was informed by manager Stengel of his father's death and was inconsolable. Following the 1951 World Series, DiMaggio retired from baseball. As a result, Mantle moved to center field before the start of
27000-472: The reserve clause was effectively struck down , leading to the free agency system . Significant work stoppages occurred in 1981 and 1994 , the latter forcing the cancellation of the World Series for the first time in 90 years. Attendance had been growing steadily since the mid-1970s and in 1994, before the stoppage, the majors were setting their all-time record for per-game attendance. After play resumed in 1995, non-division-winning wild card teams became
27180-413: The rubric of MLB. In 2001, Barry Bonds established the current record of 73 home runs in a single season. There had long been suspicions that the dramatic increase in power hitting was fueled in large part by the abuse of illegal steroids (as well as by the dilution of pitching talent due to expansion), but the issue only began attracting significant media attention in 2002 and there was no penalty for
27360-560: The rules of MLB and Minor League Baseball , is that fields built or remodeled since June 1, 1958, must have a minimum distance of 325 feet (99 m) from home plate to the fences in left and right field and 400 feet (122 m) to center. Major league teams often skirt even this rule. For example, at Minute Maid Park , which became the home of the Houston Astros in 2000, the Crawford Boxes in left field are only 315 feet (96 m) from home plate. There are no rules at all that address
27540-449: The runner is touched by the ball, held in a fielder's hand, while not on a base. (The batter-runner is always forced to advance to first base, and any other runners must advance to the next base if a teammate is forced to advance to their base.) It is possible to record two outs in the course of the same play. This is called a double play . Three outs in one play, a triple play , is possible, though rare. Players put out or retired must leave
27720-474: The season, Mantle was hospitalized with a severe abscessing septic infection on his hip, which had resulted from a "miracle shot" that he had received from physician Max Jacobson at the recommendation of Yankees broadcaster Mel Allen . It was discovered years later that Jacobson's so-called "miracle shot" was in fact laced with various substances, including amphetamines and methamphetamines , and resulted in at least one death. This revelation exposed Jacobson as
27900-469: The second. Despite missing 41 games, he was selected as MVP for the third time, beating out teammate Bobby Richardson in the voting. With a .978 fielding percentage that season, he also received his only Gold Glove Award . In the 1962 World Series , the Yankees beat the San Francisco Giants in seven games. Mantle fared poorly in the series, hitting .120 with five strikeouts. After the 1962 season,
28080-463: The series 1-for-15 with five strikeouts. In 1964, Mantle hit .303 with 35 home runs and 111 RBIs, and played center field in the All-Star game. He finished in second place in the MVP voting. The Yankees faced the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1964 World Series . In the bottom of the ninth inning of Game 3, Mantle hit a walk-off home run into the right field stands at Yankee Stadium to win the game for his team by
28260-409: The sixth member of the 500 home run club . Mantle hit .237 with 18 home runs and 54 RBIs during his final season in 1968. As a result, his lifetime average was to dip below .300, which caused him a lot of anguish. That year, despite his lowly numbers, Mantle was selected as an All-Star and made an appearance as a pinch-hitter at the All-Star Game at the Astrodome . Mantle announced his retirement at
28440-404: The stadium during a game. On May 22, 1963, against Kansas City's Bill Fischer , Mantle hit a home run against the 110-foot (34 m) high facade, before the ball caromed back onto the playing field. It was later estimated that the ball could have traveled 504 feet (154 m) had it not been blocked by the ornate and distinctive facade. On August 12, 1964, he hit one whose distance was undoubted:
28620-401: The strongest outfield arms to compensate for weak points in his fielding. His outfield throws discouraged runners from taking an extra base. Possessed of good range in center field, his defensive skill was considered 'the less spectacular equal of his offensive genius'. Although he considered himself a better hitter than fielder, Mantle felt his running catch during Don Larsen's perfect game was
28800-456: The surgical techniques available in that era. Surgery performed in 1953 removed torn cartilage to prevent further erosion to the joint but also left his knee unstable. In order to minimize the effect of that, Yankee trainers would later wrap up his knees tightly with athletic tape . After the injury, teammates noted a change in Mantle's gait and a loss of speed as a result. Despite his bad knee, Mantle
28980-454: The team with the greater number of runs at the end of the game wins. Most games end after the ninth inning, but if scores are tied at that point, extra innings are usually played. Baseball has no game clock, though some competitions feature pace-of-play regulations such as the pitch clock to shorten game time. Baseball evolved from older bat-and-ball games already being played in England by
29160-460: The top of the right field facade at Yankee Stadium , the closest that anyone came to hitting a home run out of the old stadium. However, on June 5, he broke his foot while trying to prevent a home run by Brooks Robinson in Baltimore; his spikes had been caught in the center field chain-link fence as he came down after leaping against it. As a result, he did not play again until August 4, when he hit
29340-580: The two major league champions against each other, was inaugurated that fall. The Black Sox Scandal of the 1919 World Series led to the formation of the office of the Commissioner of Baseball . The first commissioner, Kenesaw Mountain Landis , was elected in 1920. That year also saw the founding of the Negro National League ; the first significant Negro league, it would operate until 1931. For part of
29520-505: The use of performance-enhancing drugs before 2004. In 2007, Bonds became MLB's all-time home run leader, surpassing Hank Aaron , as total major league and minor league attendance both reached all-time highs. Despite having been called "America's national pastime", baseball is well-established in several other countries. As early as 1877, a professional league, the International Association , featured teams from both Canada and
29700-506: Was a catalyst in the Athletics' pennant -winning years of 1929 , 1930 and 1931 , during which he hit .331, .357 and .349 respectively. He played in those three World Series , winning the first two, but was sometimes blamed for the loss of the 1931 World Series , when the St. Louis Cardinals , led by Pepper Martin , stole eight bases and the Series. However, in his book The Life of a Baseball Hall of Fame Catcher , author Charlie Bevis cites
29880-403: Was a seven-time World Series champion with the Yankees, playing in twelve overall. In the World Series, he hit .257 over 65 games and holds the all-time World Series records for home runs (18), runs scored (42), and RBIs (40). Mantle is considered to be one of the greatest switch hitters in baseball history, hitting for both average and for power from both sides of the plate. In particular, he
30060-457: Was an all-around athlete at Commerce High School , playing basketball and football . He excelled in football, playing the halfback position. After graduating, Mantle was offered a football scholarship by the University of Oklahoma but declined it at his father's behest. However, in his sophomore year, he sustained an injury during a practice football game which nearly ended his athletic career. He
30240-529: Was an average game of 2:45. By 2014, though, the average MLB game took over three hours to complete. The lengthening of games is attributed to longer breaks between half-innings for television commercials, increased offense, more pitching changes, and a slower pace of play, with pitchers taking more time between each delivery, and batters stepping out of the box more frequently. Other leagues have experienced similar issues. In 2008, Nippon Professional Baseball took steps aimed at shortening games by 12 minutes from
30420-423: Was considered one of the best catchers in the major leagues at the time. A left-handed batter, he ran well enough that Mack would occasionally have him bat leadoff. He hit third more often, but whatever his place in the order his primary role was to get on base so that hard-hitting Al Simmons and Jimmie Foxx could drive him in. In May, he tied a twentieth-century major league record by hitting three home runs in
30600-441: Was forced to retire at the age of 34 after doctors ordered him not to attempt to play baseball again. Cochrane compiled a .320 batting average while hitting 119 home runs and 830 runs batted in over a 13-year playing career. He also had 1,652 hits, 1,041 runs scored, 333 doubles, 64 triples, 64 stolen bases and a .478 slugging percentage. His .320 batting average is the highest career mark for catchers. His .419 on-base percentage
30780-404: Was harsh in its treatment of Mantle in his early years with the Yankees, emphasizing that he struck out frequently, was injury-prone, was a rube from Oklahoma , and was perceived as inferior to DiMaggio. Over time, however, Mantle had learned to deal with the New York media and had gained the favor of the press, receiving help from teammate Whitey Ford , a native of Queens . Unlike Mantle, Maris
30960-423: Was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1974 . Born in Spavinaw, Oklahoma , Mantle was raised by his father to become a baseball player and was trained early on to become a switch hitter . Despite a career plagued with injuries, beginning with his knee injury in the 1951 World Series , he became one of the greatest offensive threats in baseball history, and was able to hit for both average and power. He
31140-461: Was kicked in the left shin and developed osteomyelitis , an infectious disease incurable just a few years earlier, in his left leg. Mantle's parents drove him overnight to Oklahoma City , where he was treated at a children's hospital with the newly available penicillin . The treatment successfully reduced the infection and saved his leg from amputation . Later in life, Mantle confided in friends and family about how he suffered from sexual abuse as
31320-506: Was known for his power, hitting some of the longest home runs in Major League history. On September 10, 1960, he hit a ball left-handed that cleared the right-field roof at Tiger Stadium in Detroit. Based on where the ball was found, it was estimated years later by historian Mark Gallagher to have traveled 643 feet (196 m). Another Mantle home run, hit right-handed off Chuck Stobbs at Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C., on April 17, 1953,
31500-405: Was measured by Yankees traveling secretary Red Patterson (hence the term tape-measure home run ) to have traveled 565 feet (172 m). Deducting for bounces, there is no doubt that each of the above home runs landed well over 500 feet (152 m) from home plate. Twice in his career Mantle hit a home run off the third-deck facade at Yankee Stadium, nearly becoming the only player to hit a fair ball out of
31680-476: Was new to the New York scene, having been traded to the Yankees from the Kansas City Athletics before the 1960 season, and never managed to adjust to demands of the New York press, many of whom began to view him as surly and rude. During the 1961 season, the press pushed the notion of the Yankees being Mantle's team, with Maris often belittled and ostracized as an outsider and not a "true Yankee". Late in
31860-611: Was not as established as Major League Baseball at the time, so he signed with the Portland Beavers of the Pacific Coast League in 1924 . After just one season in the minor leagues , Cochrane was promoted to the major leagues, making his debut with the Philadelphia Athletics on April 14, 1925 at the age of 22. He made an immediate impact by becoming Connie Mack 's starting catcher in place of Cy Perkins , who
32040-430: Was of at least partial English ancestry; his great-grandfather George Mantle left Brierley Hill , a small town in England's Black Country , and immigrated to the United States in 1848. Mantle had two older half-siblings, Ted and Anna Bae Davis, from his mother's first marriage, and four younger full siblings: twin brothers Ray and Roy, brother Larry, and sister Barbara. When he was four years old, Mantle's family moved to
32220-405: Was still known as the "fastest man to first base", once reportedly being recorded reaching first base in 3.1 seconds. However, he was forbidden by Yankee managers from base stealing over the worry that his "delicate" knees would break down faster. Further, the shoulder injury Mantle suffered during the 1957 World Series, while not affecting his numbers, led to increasing difficulty in hitting from
32400-401: Was the first of three AL MVP Awards. He also hit his second All-Star Game home run that season. That year, the Yankees again faced the Brooklyn Dodgers in the World Series . In the fifth inning of Game 5, Mantle kept Don Larsen's perfect game alive by making a running catch of a deep fly ball off the bat of Gil Hodges . The inning before, he had scored the first of the Yankees' two runs with
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